Stab My Back
by Desastrus
Summary: DISCONTINUED  It was meant to be a fun week on a cruise, especially with two new teams around. But then, bladers started to disappear one by one...What's going on? Can anyone be trusted? Rewritten version of Stranded.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Beyblade belongs to the one and only Aoki Takao

**AN:** Stab My Back is the rewritten version of Stranded. I wasn't satisfied with the way I wrote Stranded; I don't know how to explain why, so I won't. I doubt anyone cares anyway. :P The difference between this and Stranded is that there's less emphasis on the OCs (though they are important to the plot) and that there's little emphasis on romance. I apologise if I disappointed the old readers who liked that aspect of the story. Well, I won't ramble on further and I hope everyone enjoys reading this! :D

* * *

Prologue

The time for the Beyblade World Championships was drawing near. All over the world, teams were participating in qualifying rounds, hoping to have a shot becoming world champion.

There had been a spike in the number of Beyblading teams since the BEGA incident and to accommodate this increasing number, the BBA had decided to up the number of qualifying tournaments, thus allowing more teams to compete for the world champion title.

As usual, one was held each in Japan, China, USA and Russia. The number of tournaments in Europe had increased to five instead of three; in Germany, Portugal, Spain, Romania and England. Three more were held in Dubai, Brazil and Australia.

* * *

Tokyo, Japan

A young redheaded boy could be seen standing by the beystadium, his green eyes staring intently at the clashing beyblades. His jaw clenched as he waited for the perfect moment to strike. He was an impatient person by nature but for once, he kept his impulsive streak in check to ensure his team's victory. If he lost this match, they would be out of the running for the world championships.

"What's the matter?" His opponent, some kid with a fisherman hat jeered, probably trying to provoke him into attacking. "You chicken?"

A sneer twisted his features but he didn't reply, focusing instead on the beyblades. The trash talk tactic might have worked on him last year but not anymore- he had learnt a lot during the previous tournament. He smirked as he spotted an opening in the kid's defense.

This match was his for the taking.

He took a deep breath, raising a fist in the air as he channeled all his energy into the final attack. "GREAT CUTTER!" he yelled. His beyblade whirred as it picked up speed. A yellow dragon spirit emerged from the bitchip with a mighty roar. The royal purple blade slammed into his opponent's red one, sending it flying out of the dish.

"YES!"

"And this round goes to Sumeragi Daichi of the BBA Revolution!" DJ Jazzman announced amidst the cheers. "The score is now 1-1. Who will be moving on to the World Championships, the crowd favourite, the BBA Revolution," At this, the cheers grew louder, "Or will it be the notorious Blade Sharks? Only time will tell. On to the final round! Beybladers, step up to the dish please!"

Daichi returned proudly to his team's bench.

"Your turn, Tyson!"

The three time world champion grinned in reply and slapped his teammate's shoulder as congratulations before running up to the beydish. His eyes met his opponent's, as he pulled himself into a launching stance. A familiar dark-eyed teen stared impassively back; his trademark red bandana covering his jet black hair. "Yo, Carlos, it's been a while!"

The corner of Carlos' lip twitched into a disdainful smirk. "Ready to lose this time, Tyson?"

"Tch, you wish."

"You boys ready?"

The two nodded.

"Alright, on my count, three...two...one...LET IT RIP!"

"Dragoon!"

"Kamaitachi, go!"

The two beyblades landed in the dish; Kamaitachi with a much louder thump than Dragoon. It spun steadily in the middle of the dish with Dragoon circling it. Tyson gazed at the dish with a sense of déjà vu. "Same old trick eh, Carlos?" He ribbed, recalling the battle they had a couple of years ago. Carlos raised an eyebrow.

"Heh, you _wish,_ Tyson," he sneered, mimicking Tyson's earlier tone, his eyes glued to the dish. "I have something new up my sleeve."

* * *

Hilary's eyes flickered back and forth as she alternated her gaze between the two bladers, eyebrows burrowing in slight confusion as she listened to their conversation. "Hey Chief, do they know each other?" she asked the bespectacled boy beside her.

"Yup, they do, Hilary. Tyson battled Carlos about two years ago, before the Bladebreakers was formed. Kai was the leader of the Blade Sharks back then."

"Wait, _these_ guys were Kai's old buddies?" Daichi interrupted, eyes wide.

Kenny sighed, "Yes Daichi, they were Kai's old gang," he confirmed, bracing himself for Daichi's incredulous outburst about how fickle Kai was, how he couldn't believe Kai was a thug, _et cetera, et cetera_.

But unexpectedly, Daichi snorted. "Ceh. No wonder he left them- they're _lousy_."

"Huh? What do you mean, Daichi? They've improved a lot since the last-"

"Just look, Kenny!" the younger boy interjected, pointing to the beystadium. Kenny looked out just in time to see Carlos' red beyblade get knocked out by Dragoon.

And Tyson didn't even need to use his special attack.

So much for Carlos' new trick, Daichi thought contemptuously.

* * *

"AND THE WINNER IS TYSON!" DJ Jazzman said, practically screaming into the microphone as he tried to make himself heard over the frenzied cheers. "Which means the BBA Revolution will be entering the World Championships!"

Tyson grinned widely and waved at the crowd, lapping up all the attention before retrieving Dragoon from the beystadium. Climbing out from the other side, he approached Carlos who was staring at his blade with an unreadable expression on his face. Tyson caught sight of a weasel adorning his bitchip before Carlos slipped the blade inside his pocket.

"That was a good match, Carlos," he told him with a sincere smile, holding out his hand for a handshake. The Blade Shark stared at it for a moment before staring back at his face with an 'are-you-kidding' expression.

"Quit patronizing me, Tyson," he hissed and pushed past him, walking away. Tyson sighed heavily, shaking his head and made his way back to his team, who witnessed the incident.

"Don't mind him, Tyson," Kenny told him, patting his shoulder comfortingly. Beside him, Daichi nodded. "Yeah, he's just sore he lost."

"I guess," Tyson muttered, brightening up a little as he turned to follow Hilary into the backstage area.

"Hold on, BBA Revolution," DJ Jazzman interrupted. The team paused in their tracks and turned back to look quizzically at him, "We have an update from Mr. Dickenson. You are to wait in the locker room for an important announcement. Thank you."

* * *

Anger and disappointment coursed through Carlos' veins as he stalked down hallway to his team's locker room. He couldn't believe that he lost that easily to Tyson _and_ he had a bitbeast too. What went wrong? And what makes him so damn unbeatable? He wondered, a frustrated growl thrumming at the back of his throat.

He shoved the door open and stomped in.

"What the…?" Carlos stopped in his tracks. He stared around the room, taking in his teammates who were sprawled on the floor, unconscious. Their clothes were ripped and bloodied cuts littered their skin. His rage diminished- replaced by concern and confusion as he knelt beside his nearest team member, Jerry. He shook his shoulders.

"Hey, Jerry, wake up! What happened here?"

Jerry stirred. "C-carlos? Get…out," he rasped.

"Get out? You're not making any sense. What happened here, Jer?"

"Some guy…took our bitbeasts," he explained, eyes darting from side to side. "You gotta go now, man, before he comes back!"

Dread curled in his stomach. "But what about you guys? I can't leave you here!"

"We'll be…fine. Just go!"

"O-okay," Carlos stood up, breathing heavily, "I'll go get help-"

Behind him, the door slammed shut. Carlos froze, his heart thudding painfully in his ribcage.

"Too late," a voice sang.

* * *

"Hurry and switch on the BBA Channel, Daichi," said Tyson as he followed the redhead into the room. "I want to see whether the team listings are out yet."

"Way ahead of ya," he replied smugly, remote control already in hand as he collapsed into the couch.

"-Today marks the end of the qualifying rounds for the Beyblade World Championships," the newscaster said, smiling at the screen. "The final list of all the teams that will be participating in the World Championships is with me right now. Fans will be glad to know that a lot of familiar faces will be appearing this year."

At this, the BBA Revolution grinned at each other excitedly.

"I shall not keep you in suspense any longer; the list will be shown on the screen right about now."

**Qualifying Tournament-Team**

Australia- Psykicks

Brazil- Justice five

China- White Tiger X

Dubai- XX Inferno

England- Wraith Knights

Germany- Majestics

Japan- BBA Revolution

Portugal- Freedom Battalion (Previously Barthez Battalion)

Romania- Saint Shields

Russia- Blitzkrieg Boys

Spain- F Dynasty

USA- All Starz

Tyson took in the list and whooped. "The lady wasn't kidding about familiar faces!" He exclaimed gleefully, giving Daichi a high five.

"She sure wasn't, "agreed Kenny, "We've practically met all the teams except for the Wraith Knights and the XX Inferno."

"It's like one big reunion," Hilary said. "I can't wait to see all the girls again!"

Daichi frowned as he studied the list. "Wait, wait, wait. You mean you know the…" He squinted at the screen, "Psykicks and the Saint Shields too?"

"Yup! Met them the tournament before last year's."

"Cool! They any good?"

"Duh. They wouldn't make the _World_ Tournament if they weren't now, would they?"

Daichi shrugged. "I was just asking," he grumbled.

"And now we have a live broadcast from the BBA Headquarters for an announcement from the chairman, Stanley Dickenson!" The newscaster continued, causing the Japanese team to pause and pay attention.

Mr. Dickenson replaced the newscaster on the screen.

"Good evening everyone," he said, his voice coming from both the TV and the PA system in the stadium. "I'm sure all of you are excited for the upcoming world championship so I'll make this as quick as possible," his moustache twitched as he smiled at the screen, "this message is intended for the teams that have made it to the Championships.

The BBA would like to invite all of you for a ten-day trip on our luxury cruise before the tournament takes place. As all of you know, Beyblading is a sport that is based on friendship and teamwork. The cruise will serve as a platform for the Beybladers from different teams to bond and get to know each other and perhaps, as an opportunity to learn from each other. We will be sending more details to each team soon. Thank you and have a nice day, everyone."

* * *

An unidentified figure smirked as he (she?) bent down to pick up his victim's beyblade. Deft fingers took it apart, letting all the pieces - save for the bitchip- drop unceremoniously to the floor. He studied the weasel on the bitchip and pocketed it with a satisfied smirk. The boss will be pleased.

The person cocked his head as the BBA chairman's voice played on the PA. He listened intently to the announcement, taking his time as he dragged the unconscious Blade Sharks out of sight to ensure that they won't be found so quickly. He was willing to bet that their pride would prevent them from reporting to the authorities when they regained their consciousness. After all, who would want to admit that their whole team lost to a single blader?

He pulled his hood up, effectively hiding his face. Slowly, he made his way out of the building, mulling the information over, the beginnings of a plan forming at the back of his mind.

* * *

Unknown location

The bright afternoon light spilled through the window of a lavishly furnished office. Glossy mahogany shelves lined the walls, bound books and folders arranged neatly by colour and size. A man could be seen sitting at a matching desk, reading intently. His jet black hair, which was streaked with gray, was combed back, revealing a high forehead. The wrinkles that marred his face somehow added to his aristocratic looks. A slow smile appeared on his face as he listened to the announcement made by the BBA chairman, informing the world of the cruise that would be taking place for the Beybladers who would be competing in the world championships later this year.

What a wonderful opportunity, he thought delightedly. It was as if fate had decided to lend him a hand. The ship would be a wonderful setting to carry out his plan: being in the middle of the ocean would prevent the Beybladers from escaping and if he executed the plan perfectly, the authorities wouldn't find out either. Well, they would, but it would be far too late by then. He smiled again. The Beybladers wouldn't know what hit them.

He picked up his phone and called one of his trusted subordinates. He waited patiently for the line to connect to Japan. A few seconds later, the call went through. "Your job just got easier, my young friend."

A dark chuckle came from the line. "I'm guessing that you heard the chairman's announcement? The saying is true then- great minds do think alike."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**Beyblade belongs to the one and only Aoki Takao. I only own the plot and my OCs.

* * *

Chapter One

* * *

After a mere three hours flight and an even shorter bus ride, the White Tigers X had arrived at the cruise's pick up point, Tokyo Harbour.

It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining, causing the blue waters of the ocean to shimmer and sparkle invitingly. A cool breeze blew over their faces, carrying a faint tang of salt and seaweed.

Mariah closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, savouring the smell; it wasn't often that she and the White Tigers got to spent time by the beach, seeing that their hometown was high up in the mountains. She heard her friends exhale and smiled, happy that they were enjoying it as much as she was.

After a few minutes, the team began to walk along the pier towards the end of the harbour where the cruise was anchored. Soon, the ship came into view, along with a group of extremely familiar people: the BBA Revolution and the All Starz. They too were walking towards the ship and hence they didn't see the Chinese teens at the back.

Ray grinned conspiratorally at his teammates. He signaled to them to keep quiet and crept forwards. Bits and pieces of conversation floated out from the front.

A particular sentence caught his attention.

"I wonder whether the White Tigers and the Blitzkrieg Boys have arrived," Tyson said to the blond half-American beside him. Max shrugged in reply and Ray grabbed the opportunity to make his presence known.

"We're here," he said cheerfully, as if he was in the conversation since the beginning, squeezing himself in between the two boys and wrapped his arms around their shoulders, "well, at least the White Tigers are," he added, frowning thoughtfully.

There was a brief moment of silence before the younger boys burst into action.

"Ray!" They exclaimed, tackling him.

"Hey guys!" he greeted, chuckling at their enthusiastic greeting. "It's great to see you too."

Then a dry voice interrupted, "what, no hello for me?"

The owner made his way towards the middle of the group where Tyson, Max and Ray stood frozen. He smirked at their flabbergasted expressions. The smirk slipped off his face, transforming into one of surprise as his former teammates recovered, yelling, "Kai!" and grabbed him in a group hug.

And so, after a year of separation, the wielders of the four sacred spirits were reunited once again.

* * *

"213…215…217… Ah, here it is!" Hilary said happily, stopping in front of their suite, 219. She slid the card key into the slot; waited for the red indicator light turn green and turned the golden doorknob. The pine door swung inwards, unveiling their lodgings for the next ten days.

"Whoa," Daichi breathed. He staggered into the room and sank into a white L-shaped couch, looking reverently around at his surroundings, "everything's so shiny and new and…stuff."

"Yeah, it is," Kenny agreed, taking in the deco as he went further into the room. A silver square coffee table with a green glass surface sat in front of the couch and a sleek forty inch plasma screen television hung on the white wall opposite it. To the left was a short hallway which led to four bedrooms. Three slim white vases of varying heights lined the wall just before the hallway, filled sparingly with long thin branches with red buds. The floors were carpeted with plush gray-white carpet.

"Yes, yes, lovely," Tyson said, barely paying attention to the room as he walked past Hilary who was holding the door open. He dumped his duffel bag and a couple of Hilary's carry-ons by couch. A pair of dark-haired boys followed through, bringing in more of Hilary's stuff.

"Thanks for the help, guys," Hilary said, looking slightly embarrassed, "you shouldn't have."

"No problemo, Hilary," one of the guys, Sanjaya, said cheerily, setting the bags down on the floor. The Wraith Knight pushed his curly brown hair off his forehead, revealing a pair of bright chocolate brown eyes. The other boy, Stefan, nodded in agreement. Incidentally, he was the captain of the Wraith Knights.

"It's a good thing we bumped into you when we did," Tyson said as he rummaged through the small fridge in the corner, "or else we would have taken all day to lug her bags here," he joked.

"Hey!" Hilary protested, "I didn't bring that much…did I?"

"You gotta be kidding me, right?" Daichi said, vaulting over the back of the couch. He surveyed the various bags on the floor, "that's a lot!"

"Just be glad you guys only have one girl on your team," Sanjaya told them teasingly, "you should have seen the amount of bags we had to help carry earlier!"

"You have girls on your team?" Hilary asked, surprised- girls were somewhat of a rare thing in Beyblading and to have more than one was practically unheard of.

"Yup! Two; Aurelia and Yuliana!"

"Oooh," Tyson said, cringing dramatically as he walked over to bump fists with Sanjaya, "I feel your pain, man!"

* * *

A dinner party of sorts was held at the dining hall that evening. A long buffet table stretched in the middle of the room. Round tables were arranged on either side of the buffet, seating six people each.

A waiter stood by the door. He held a clear glass bowl filled with pieces of folded paper for the bladers to take. These slips of paper contain numbers that indicate their seat. This was done to randomize the seating arrangements so that the beybladers would be sitting with those from different teams and hopefully, they would be encouraged to make friends.

Well, that was the BBA's plan anyway.

Hilary found her seat, number 14. Two girls she didn't recognize were already seated.

"Hey guys," she greeted as she slipped into her chair beside a pretty Middle Eastern girl with waist-long braided auburn hair, "I'm Hilary. Nice to meet you."

"Hello," the girl said, smiling, "I'm Fizza El-Rasheed from the XX Inferno and this is Yuliana Taratova," she continued, gesturing to a younger girl with light brown hair and violet eyes on her other side, "she's from the Wraith Knights. She's a little shy," Fizza finished, turning to give Yuliana a teasing grin. A pink tinge appeared on Yuliana's cheeks as she gave Hilary a small smile.

Then Oliver, Miguel and Gary came to fill up the empty seats at their table. After the introductions were done, the teens slipped into conversation. Hilary was pleasantly surprised to find out that the XX Inferno was an all girls team. She also discovered a bit more information about her newfound friends: Fizza was a Bedouin and her tribe used to live in the Sahara Desert before relocating to Cairo. Yuliana was Russian and she loved to collect bunny-themed accessories.

Minutes later, Mr. Dickenson entered the room. He was pleased to hear enthusiastic conversation taking place at all tables as the beybladers got to know their new friends. It seemed that tonight's project was a success.

Quickly, he scanned the room, making sure that all the teams were present. Satisfied that they were all there, he stepped up to the podium.

Immediately, all conversation ceased as the teenagers turned expectantly towards him.

"Good evening, everyone," he began, "and welcome aboard the Mithra! As some of you might know, Mithra is the god of light and friendship in Persian mythology. We at the BBA thought that it was a fitting name as we intended the cruise to be a place where friendship will be forged and bonds strengthened," his moustache twitched as applause thundered in the hall.

"Hear, hear," someone called.

"Alright, before we start dinner, let me introduce our new friends: the Wraith Knights and the XX Inferno!"

The beybladers clapped politely as the members of the two teams rose and graciously bowed.

"Alright, now that that's over and done with, let the banquet begin!"

Loud cheers and whoops rose from the tables, namely Tyson's and Daichi's. Hilary rolled her eyes as the two boys dashed pass their table towards the buffet where the waiters were still serving the food.

Beside her, Fizza chuckled. "Are they always this enthusiastic?" she asked curiously. Yuliana leaned forward interestedly but didn't say anything; still shy.

"Only when it comes to food and beyblading," Hilary replied, rather exasperatedly.

"I remember that one time when I cooked a buffet for Tyson. He finished it in, I don't know, around ten minutes?" Oliver told them as they approached the buffet. "Boy, were the rest of the Bladebreakers mad! Kai even gave Tyson extra training."

Fizza laughed. "Really? It's hard to imagine them doing those things. Especially Tyson. He looked like a pretty serious person when I see him on television."

"Trust me, serious is not the word to describe Tyson," Hilary said dryly. "You'll see."

"Aw, give him some credit, Hilary," Miguel chimed in, his sapphire eyes sparkling mischievously. "He's not _that_ bad."

"Hey, Hil!" Someone called out before Hilary could reply, "you should try this! It's delish!"

Unconsciously, she perked up at sound of Tyson's voice, despite all her previous complaints. She brushed her hair away from her eyes as she listened intently to whatever the boy was saying, a wide smile on her lips.

She didn't notice the knowing, amused looks her friends were exchanging behind her back.

* * *

Despite what the BBA chairman believed, not everyone was having fun with the seating arrangements. Tala didn't try to conceal his irritation as he stabbed a meatball with his fork. At first the redhead didn't have a problem with it; at least until _he_ appeared at the table.

_He_ as in the cocky, all-around-annoying kick boxer: Garland Siebald.

You could say that Tala was still sore at the fact that the silver-haired blader had sent him into a coma last tournament. Who wouldn't be? The beating he took had a taken a toll on his body: some of his more serious injuries twinged from time to time, even after the doctors declared them to be healed.

So yes, Tala held a grudge.

He cast an eye around the table; taking extra care to aim a glare Garland's way. Robert was sitting across Tala; he, Garland and Salima were trying their best to keep the conversation going. Mariah was contributing, but she wasn't very enthusiastic; the subject other three were discussing was only fit to appear on the news and though it wasn't obvious, it seemed as though she had something against the female Psykick. The last person, Aoi, some girl from one of the new teams (he wasn't paying attention) was quiet, nodding at times to show that she was listening. She only talked when the others asked her a direct question.

"So Tala, what do you think about global warming?" Robert asked, in a transparent attempt to include him in the conversation. From the corner of his eye, he saw Garland smirk at him. Tala glowered; Garland sneered and looked away.

Tala turned to Robert and stared at him in the eye.

"I think it doesn't exist," he said, even though he actually believed that it did. He stabbed another meatball, keeping his piercing blue orbs in contact with Robert's shocked brown ones. That'll teach them to leave me alone, he thought irritably.

* * *

On the other side of the room, a pair of unlikely girls had become fast friends, connected by their common interests: fashion, and shopping. A bored Mystel was listening to their chatter as he ate.

"Hey Ming-Ming," Julia began as she swallowed her roast chicken. "I've got a burning question for you." She leaned forward a little, her green eyes serious.

Ming-Ming raised an eyebrow, feeling slightly wary at her expression.

"In your opinion,"

Ming-Ming nodded to show that she was listening.

"Which is better, mousse in spray form or cream form?"

She choked on her salad. _That_ was Julia's 'burning' question? She was expecting something more…meaningful. She thought for a moment. "Definitely spray form. Less greasy, you know?"

Julia nodded. "That's what I thought too," Julia's voice trailed away as she got lost in her thoughts. They chewed their food in comfortable silence. Ming-Ming would never have guessed that she'd be friends with Julia Fernandez, of all people. Who would have known that they'd have so much in common? Ming-Ming was relieved to have a friend on the cruise outside her team. She had been a little worried that the other teams wouldn't want anything to do with them, after the BEGA fiasco last year. And truth to be told, pop-star was lacking in female company, and she was feeling rather lonely. Then an idea stuck her.

"Hey, Julia," she began tentatively, trying to contain her excitement. "Do you wanna hang out after the cruise? I can show you around Tokyo. We can go shopping!"

Julia grinned. "I was just about to ask you that. I've always wanted to go shopping in Harajuku! You can show me where all the cool stores are!"

Mystel shook his head at the girls' excited chatter. He was glad that Ming-Ming had a friend; god knows the girl needed one but he was getting pretty bored listening to the various types of manicures, pedicures and whatnot.

And their other table mates?

Tyson seemed perpetually stuck to the buffet table. Bryan wasn't much of a conversationalist and Kenny had taken out his laptop (and sneaking glances at Ming-Ming over the screen when he thought she wasn't looking).

"I'm going out to the deck to get some air," he announced. Ming-Ming looked up.

"Okay, don't stay out too late, Mystel."

* * *

The man from earlier could be seen sitting in a high-backed leather chair. The room he was in was brightly lit by fluorescent lights. The walls were covered with many screens, each showing a view of a certain area on the ship. Sudden movement in one of the empty hallways caught his eye. He stared at it intently; a grin tugging at his lips as he watched Mystel left the dining hall _alone._

He swiveled his chair around, watching as his subordinate examined the many bitchips he and his friends had acquired from bladers all over the world. Feeling someone watching him, he looked up; a blond eyebrow cocked questioningly.

"It's time to commence operation 'Disappear', Knight."

Knight smirked.

"Finally," he said as he swiftly swept the bitchips off the table and into a box, "I thought I'd die of boredom here." He pulled a mask over his face and put the hood of his cloak up. He gave the older man a two-fingered salute as he left, "see ya later, Dr. Zed."

"Grandmaster," corrected absently as he turned back to the screens, "let the game begin," he whispered.

* * *

**AN:** Fast update, yeah? XD Well, it's fast only cos this chapter is pretty similar to Stranded's, heheh. and Knight's scene was the most fun to write. ^_^ Also, you might notice that I didn't really describe the OCs much. I don't like to have paragraphs describing their appearance and stuff cos personally I thought that it disrupts the flow of the story. If anyone wants more info, I posted their profiles in my profile so please feel free to look. :D

Anyway, I'd like to thank AquilaTempestas and Sanaa for reviewing the previous chapter! To the rest of you reading this- please review? :3 I'd love to hear your thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Beyblade belongs to Aoki Takao. I only own the OCs.

* * *

Thanks goes to AquilaTempestas for reviewing the previous chapter. =)

* * *

Chapter Two

It was another gorgeous day on the cruise; the summer sun shone and the skies were clear. It was a perfect day to spend outdoors; a fact that did not go unnoticed by the beybladers who decided to spend their day on the deck. It was peaceful aboard the Mithra, at least until...

"CANNONBALL!" Tyson hollered, leaping into the swimming pool, wetting everyone within splashing distance.

"Tyson!" Hilary shrieked from her spot beside the pool. She had been sunbathing with Julia but being the one nearest to the pool, she bore the full brunt of the splash. "Look what you did!" She shouted, glowering as she brandished her soggy magazine.

"Sorry!" The offending boy called out, not sounding sorry at all, but before Hilary could shout at him some more, a red blur dashed past her, climbing up to the diving board at an astonishing speed.

"GERANIMO!" It screamed as it flew off the diving board which flexed with a loud twang.

Julia groaned.

"Not again," she muttered as a second wave of water splashed them. Cursing under her breath, she whipped off her shades, drying them with a corner of her towel. Beside her, Hilary was fuming.

"Daichi!" She screamed as she swung her legs from the deck chair, marching towards the edge of the pool.

"So sorry, Hilary!" The redhead said with a snigger as he slapped Tyson a high five.

Grinning mischievously, Tyson turned to whisper in Daichi's ear. A delighted smile spread across the younger boy's face as his green eyes flickered in her direction. Hilary frowned, a sense of foreboding washing through her as she watched them clamber out of the pool towards her.

Having guessed what they intended to do, Hilary backed away, her cinnamon brown eyes narrowing into a glare, "you wouldn't dare," she hissed.

"Oh we dare," Tyson said, smirking wickedly as he and Daichi began to close in on her.

"You don't stand a chance, Hil," Julia told her matter-of-factly from behind as she adjusted her shades.

"I would if you help me," Hilary whined, looking pleadingly at the Spaniard who laughed lightly in reply.

"Sorry girl," she said, grinning as Tyson lunged in to grab Hilary. He threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's lift and pranced towards the pool.

"Let. Me. GO!" The brunette exclaimed, beating her captor's bare back with her fists furiously but with no effect.

"No can do," Tyson said happily as he threw her in the water. Immediately, she surfaced, liquid spouting out of her mouth as she glared at the two boys who were roaring with laughter.

"That's not funny," she ground out as she climbed out, advancing on the pair. Daichi squeaked as he caught sight of the murderous look on her face. Thinking fast, he decided on the best plan of action: running away.

"I'll deal with you later, monkey boy," Hilary told him menacingly, not taking her eyes off the laughing world champ who quickly sobered up.

"Aw, come on," he said, his grin wavering as he backed away, "it was just a joke."

Julia raised a hand to conceal her smile as she watched Hilary stalk towards Tyson, causing him to walk backwards in the direction of the pool. His foot slipped as he reached the edge, his arms flailing as he struggled to keep his balance.

Smirking, Hilary stepped closer, unintentionally bringing her face close to his. She looked like she was going to kiss him, Julia noted, grinning at the possible blackmail material she could use later as Tyson's eyes widened, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. He stared rather dazedly into Hilary's eyes, not realizing as the girl brought her hand in front of his face. She flicked his forehead, cackling madly as the boy fell into the water with a startled yelp.

* * *

Max breathed in deeply, taking in deep lungfuls of the fresh ocean air as he stepped on the deck. He walked across the area, stopping short as he caught sight of Tyson and Hilary chasing each other around the pool. He smirked knowingly as Tyson grabbed Hilary by the waist from behind and swung her around, making her laugh.

"Whatcha looking at Maxie?" Ray asked curiously as he came up, following Max's gaze. An understanding look dawned on his face. "Aah, that," he said as his lips formed a smirk, similar to the one Max had.

Kai suddenly materialized by their side.

"Aw, our Tyson's growing up," he drawled, imitating the tone of a proud mother mockingly. He smirked as his friends tittered and moved over to lean on the wall, his arms crossed. The three of them chuckled as they watched Hilary shove Tyson into the water.

"Hey you three!" Lee called out, loping over to them. "The guys," he jerked his thumb back towards Michael, Eddy, Kane and Miguel, "want to play water polo, but we don't have enough people. Wanna join?"

"Sure!" Max said without hesitation, his blue eyes lighting up excitedly.

Beside him, Ray nodded, "I'll play. Kai?" He asked, turning to look at the stoic teen. Kai shrugged, an action that Ray interpreted to be yes. "Great! How many more people do you need, Lee?" Ray asked.

"If you guys join then, four more."

"Okay," Max said, "I'll go ask Tyson; I'm sure he'll play!" With that, he ran off.

Kai pushed himself off the wall, "Tala might be interested," he said, walking away to find the redhead.

"And I'll go ask the other guys," Ray said, going back into the ship.

* * *

Enrique strolled onto the deck and scanned the area, sighing happily as he drank in the beautiful scene, aka girls in bathing suits. He caught sight of a very pretty blonde-brunette sitting by the pool, chuckling to herself as she watched Tyson and Hilary get kicked out of the pool by a bunch of the guys. Deciding that he would like to sit with the girl, he sauntered towards her.

"Oh Julia~!" He sang as he flopped into the vacant deck chair beside the girl. Immediately, her giggles ceased as her lips turned down in a frown.

"Go away, Enrique," she said in a bored tone, not even bothering to look at him. Enrique's grin widened; the girl was playing hard to get. Fun.

"Aw, don't be like that!" he said, in a mock hurt voice, "I just wanted to keep you company. I promise I won't disturb you," he added, giving her his best puppy-dog look.

Julia huffed. "I said, go away," she repeated irritably, pushing her shades down to glare at him.

Enrique pouted; his puppy-dog look always worked, but before he could try anything else, someone tapped his shoulder.

"Hey, Enrique!" Mariah said brightly, "mind giving me this seat?" she asked, smiling sp sweetly that Enrique felt his insides melt, "I need to talk to Julia."

"Sure thing!" He said as he hopped off the chair. "I'll see you later, my beautiful Spanish rose," Enrique told Julia, bowing.

He waved a hand dismissively at her disgusted scoff and ambled away.

* * *

"What would you do without me?" Mariah teased with the air of someone who did a friend a huge favour. She took Enrique's place, leaning back happily into the chair.

Julia snorted.

"Come on, 'Riah, you just want the best seats in the house, don't you?" she said, smirking as she gestured at the scene that was unfolding in the pool. The guys were playing water polo; Tyson, Kai, Max, Ray, Tala and Stefan on one team while Miguel, Kane, Lee, Eddy, Sanjaya and Michael were on the other.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mariah said, fidgeting in her seat.

Julia rolled her eyes. "You just want to ogle Ray," she accused, poking her friend.

"Well, you caught me," Mariah said with a giggle, outrageously shameless as she glued her eyes to the now shirtless neko-jin, "he's so hot."

Julia looked at her from the corner of her eyes, trying not to laugh at the dreamy look on her friend's face.

"So hot you wanna kiss him?"

"Uhuh," Mariah said distractedly.

Julia smirked.

"So hot you wanna jump him?"

"Uhuh."

"So hot you wanna have his babies?"

"Uhu- hey! Julia!" Mariah exclaimed as Julia's words registered, her face colouring to match her hair. She smacked Julia's shoulder, embarrassed.

Julia laughed, "You have it bad, girl."

Mariah sighed.

"I know right?"

* * *

After giving his seat up to Mariah, Enrique was back to wandering about the deck. He heard a very familiar voice arguing with a girl. Entertainment, he thought happily as he approached the group.

"Guys are obviously the superior species!" Johnny was saying to the curly-haired brunette standing in front of him while Oliver looked on. Enrique recognized her; she was Melaina, the Greek blader from the XX Inferno.

"No way! Girls are! We're obviously smarter!" she retorted, her green eyes narrowed as she stared Johnny down, her hands on her hips.

"I agree one hundred percent," Enrique broke in, grinning. "They're more attractive too."

Johnny whipped around at his teammate's voice. He glowered at the Italian.

"Shut up, Enrique! Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"The female species, duh!"

A vein popped in Johnny's forehead.

"Why you…!"

Before things could escalate, Oliver decided to step in.

"How about we settle this with a…" he cast an eye around for an idea. Catching sight of the volleyball net at the side, he got an idea, "A volleyball match?" he suggested diplomatically, looking expectantly at them. "The loser has to admit the other gender is better, okay? You have ten minutes to get five more people."

* * *

Johnny grumbled to himself as he stomped over to ask Robert to join his team, but before he could open his mouth to ask,

"Whatever is it that you want Johnny, the answer is no- I'm busy," the German said curtly as he studied the chessboard. His opponent, the Aurelia girl from the Wrath Knights, looked up at him curiously, her vibrant red hair swishing with the movement.

"But I haven't said anything!"

"The answer is still no."

Cursing under his breath, Johnny stalked away.

"And don't swear, Jonathan!" Robert called out after him, sounding very much like a mother, "It's uncouth!"

Johnny rolled his eyes.

"FUCK YOU!" He hollered, just to spite the German, who shot a reproving look at his back.

"What's got your panties up in a twist?" Someone drawled.

Johnny looked to the side. A tanned, burly guy was looking at him, eyebrows raised as he slurped loudly on his drink.

Rick Anderson.

Johnny studied him; he could be a pretty good player, Johnny reasoned, he was an All Star after all.

"Want to play volleyball?" He asked, "We're having a match against the girls."

"No. Volleyball's a sissy game," Rick said dismissively. Johnny's eyebrow twitched.

"Aww, come on Rick, you scared of losing to a buncha girls?" Mariah spoke up, her tone sly.

"Who in their right mind would be scared of a bunch of girlies like you?"

"We-ell, you, Rick," she said, grinning, "you're not exactly what I call sane."

Rick rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Pinky; I don't see you playing."

"Oh, but I am," with a smile reminiscent of the Cheshire cat, Mariah turned away. "Hey Melaina, I'll join your team!" she yelled. Melaina cheered from across the deck and gave her a thumbs-up.

"I'll play too!" Julia shouted, raising and waving her hand in the air. She used her other hand to give Mariah a high five.

"And I'll cheer you gals on!" Ming-Ming piped, bouncing excitedly in her seat.

"I wanna join!" Mathilda called out as she looked up from her magazine.

"Great!" Melaina shouted back grinning, "See you ladies at the volleyball court in five!" Then she turned to shoot Johnny a smug smile. "And take that MacGregor! I have three members already!" The Greek girl stuck out her tongue at him rather childishly before flouncing away, her curls bouncing with each step she took, ignoring the glare Johnny sent her way.

* * *

"Hey, I'll play."

Melaina grinned at the girl who had just spoken.

"Miriam right?" at the other girl's nod, she continued, "Awesome, be at the court in," she glanced at her watch, "Oh shit, three minutes. Kay, need one more person. Seeyoulater!"

With that, Melaina rushed away.

"One more person!" She told herself as she scanned the deck. Hilary was happily terrorizing Daichi; Aurelia was busy with chess; Salima was busy talking on her cellphone while Yuliana wasn't even on the deck- poor girl was having cramps and was resting in her room- which left her teammates. Fizza didn't know how to play which cancelled her out. Sofia had fallen asleep and Melaina would rather kick a busy bee hive than wake her up. Then she saw Aoi lounging on one of the deck chairs with a magazine.

Aha.

"Oi Aoi! Get your lazy ass over here!"

The Japanese looked up, peering at her through her messy, longish bangs and gave her a lazy half-smile, "My _lazy ass _refuses to move."

"Aw, come on! I _need_ you!"

"Nuh-uh. I'm busy." Aoi ran a hand through her short hair as her gray eyes travelled down to her magazine.

"PLEASE!"

"No."

Scowling, Melaina turned away; it was useless trying to talk to Aoi when she was like this. She wracked her brain. There had to be someone else! Think, Melaina, think! She snapped her fingers.

"EMILY!"

"What?"

Melaina jumped as the bespectacled girl appeared by her side.

"Please join my volleyball team!" Melaina begged as she got down on her knees. She looked up at her pleadingly.

Emily blinked rapidly, pushing up her glasses. "Er, okay."

"Wonderful! Now let's go!" Melaina exclaimed as she jumped up, grabbing Emily's wrist and dragging her away.

* * *

Rick watched as Johnny attempted to coerce Bryan and Spencer to join his team. So far, he had managed convince (read: intimidate) Raul, Kenny and Claude to play. It was all rather pathetic really. He glanced over to the volleyball court where the girls were congregating. Rolling his eyes, Rick walked up to the redhead.

"I'll play," he told him gruffly. "You'll probably let us down at this rate. And you!" He said sharply, narrowing his eyes at an unimpressed Bryan. "Do you want to see your own gender lose to a bunch of girls?"

"…No."

"Well, what the heck are you waiting for then? Let's go!"

Bryan frowned, exchanging a look with Spencer, who raised an eyebrow in return. A few seconds passed as the pair communicated wordlessly.

"Oh what the hell," Bryan muttered, pushing past the boys towards the volleyball court.

* * *

"Damn!" Lee exclaimed suddenly, causing their game to freeze as everyone turned to look at him.

"I forgot to call grandfather!"

"Oh yeah!" Ray exclaimed, his amber eyes wide with alarm as he remembered the promise the White Tigers had made, which was to phone home when they arrived in Japan. The village had only one phone, which was at the tavern and who knew how long Lee's grandfather had been waiting there.

"I better call now," Lee said as he got out of the water, grabbed a towel to dry himself and ran towards the inside of the ship.

"Wait up, Lee!" Gary called out, "I'll come with you!"

"I'll sit this one out," Ray told the rest, making the number of people on each team equal. He climbed out, exchanging a friendly grin with Aoi as she slipped past him to the interior of the ship.

* * *

Lee hurried towards the lobby.

Suddenly, he heard a loud thump behind him, like the sound of someone or something falling. He glanced back to see Gary slumped on the ground.

"What the hell…? Gary!" he rushed towards his friend, wondering what had happened to him. As Lee fussed over him, he failed to notice the presence of another person with them in the empty corridor until it was too late. As he bent to examine his unconscious friend, he felt someone's fingers press the pressure point on his neck before everything went black.

* * *

The Grandmaster smiled, rubbing his hands in satisfaction as he watched Lee and Gary being carried away. Queen had done a good job and his plan was going nicely. He chuckled as he watched the beybladers have fun on the deck, oblivious to the danger they were in.

Idly, he wondered when they would notice their missing teammates. He hoped it was soon. That was when all the fun would begin.

* * *

**AN:** And before anyone asks, no the Queen here is not the Queen we all know from V-Force. I hope this chapter wasn't too draggy, and apologies for the late update. School is evil.

I kinda have two story in the planning stages. One's an AU fic while the other is humour. You can go to my profile for more details and tell me if you found them interesting enough. :D

Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! :D


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